Mixed suspended ceiling comprising a stretched canvas

ABSTRACT

A suspended ceiling includes at least one canvas ( 4 ) which is tightened at the periphery thereof to support elements ( 1 ) that are fixed to the ceiling and/or walls of a room. The inventive suspended ceiling is characterized by the fact that it also includes ceiling tiles ( 5 ) which are held by the support elements with the aid of holding members that allow the tiles ( 5 ) to be dismounted without first having to fully or partially dismount the canvas ( 4 ).

The present invention relates to improvements in suspended (false)ceiling systems constituted by a canvas maintained stretched byperipheral rails, and especially to suspended ceilings employingso-called “invisible” rails of this type.

Suspended ceilings constituted by a canvas, particularly made ofpolyvinyl chloride, called PVC, which is tightened by its periphery withthe aid of a border in the form of a hook which fits on rails fixed onthe walls of a room, have been developed for some years. In order toconceal from the user's eyes these rails which usually constitute a sortof frame, it has also been proposed to employ rails of so-called“invisible” type which present the particularity of ensuring hold of thestretched canvas not by fitting means but by placing the free end of theborder in simple abutment against a specific rail element provided tothat end, this allowing the canvas to be mounted and dismantledparticularly easily.

It is known that it is sometimes necessary to carry out technicalinterventions in the volume included between the suspended ceiling andthe ceiling, particularly for example in order to ensure maintenance oflamps. Consequently it is understood that such interventions oblige theuser to effect a prior, at least partial dismantling of the stretchedceiling.

Furthermore, it so happens that, in certain types of architecturalconstructions, it is desired to make suspended ceilings which areprovided with accessory elements, such as for example lamps of largedimensions or rails of lamps, air-conditioning outlets, traps for accessto the ceiling, etc. . . .

The production of such accessory devices through the stretched canvaspresents certain difficulties and the present invention has for itsobject to propose means for providing, in a stretched ceiling, the easyproduction of one or more accessories, particularly of the type of thosementioned hereinabove.

The present invention has for its object to allow a user, on the onehand, to have available accessories, for example of lamp type,conjointly with stretched ceilings and, on the other hand, to have easyand rapid access to the technical volume lying above the suspendedceiling, simply by dismantling a tile adjacent to the latter.

The present invention thus has for its object a suspended ceilingconstituted on the one hand by at least one canvas tightened by itsperiphery on support elements fast with the ceiling and/or the walls ofa room, characterized in that it is constituted, on the other hand, byceiling tiles held by these support elements with the aid of holdingmeans allowing the tiles to be dismantled without first having to fullyor partially dismantle the canvas.

In a form of embodiment of the present invention, the support elementswill be constituted by rails, namely peripheral rails and median railswhich will be held with respect to the ceiling, these latter beingprovided, on one of their sides, with means for holding the canvas and,on their other side, with means for holding the tiles.

In simple manner, the tiles will be held in simple abutment, at least inpart, on the median rails. As for these median rails, they will beprovided on one of their sides with means for hooking the canvas, and,on their other side, with a horizontal web intended to receive thetiles.

The hooking means of the median rail will preferably be constituted bytwo parallel vertical flanges, namely a first flange disposed towardsthe canvas, and a second flange disposed towards the tiles, the innerwall of the second flange being provided with a shoulder adapted toreceive, in simple abutment, the free end of a border integral with thecanvas, so as to ensure holding of the latter stretched. The shoulderwill preferably be disposed on the lower part of the second flange.

A form of embodiment of the present invention will be describedhereinafter by way of non-limiting example, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective and in partial section of a mixedceiling according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view in cross section of a profiled element for producingthe ceiling according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a view in cross section of a variant embodiment of a profiledelement for making the ceiling according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view from above of the construction shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view in cross section of another variant embodiment of aprofiled element for making the ceiling according to the invention.

The suspended ceiling according to the invention is essentiallyconstituted by two elements, namely a canvas 4 and rigid tiles 5. Holdof these elements is ensured by metal rails, namely peripheral railsfast with the walls (not shown in the drawing), and median rails 1 whichensure, on one of their sides, hold of the canvas 4 and on their otherside hold of the tiles 5.

FIG. 2 shows a median rail 1 which is constituted by an extruded metalsection, essentially composed of a first vertical flange 9 and a secondparallel flange 11 of the same length, which is maintained spaced aparttherefrom by a transverse web 10. This transverse web 10 extends beyondthe first flange 9 by a support zone 13.

Furthermore, the lower part of the flange 11 extends towards the outside(i.e. in a direction opposite to the first flange 9), in a web 15perpendicular to the flanges 9 and 11 and which is intended to ensurehold of the tiles 5.

The web 15 extends inwardly, i.e. beyond the inner face 11 a of thesecond flange 11, in the direction of the first flange 9 over a shortlength, in a shoulder 17.

The rail 1 is held at a given distance from the ceiling (not shown inthe drawing) of the room by tie rods 3 of which one end is connected tothe latter, and the other end is fixed to the rail via brackets 19.

If the ceiling comprises more than one row of tiles 5, there is employeda second rail 2 of cross section in the form of an inverted T and whosecentral arm is maintained at a given distance from the ceiling by tierods 3′. The distance E existing between the central arm of the secondT-shaped rail 2 and the second flange 11 of the first rail 1 is afunction of the width of the tiles that it is desired to dispose in thevicinity of the stretched canvas 4.

In the form of embodiment shown in FIG. 1, certain of the tiles 5 ensurethe hold of openings 6 for aeration.

In known manner, the stretched canvas 4 is provided, on its periphery,with a holding element, or border 25, which is constituted by a band ofelastomer on which the canvas 4 is welded and of which the free end partrests in simple abutment on the shoulder 17, i.e. it does not undergoany fit thereon and its fixation is ensured by the very tension of thecanvas, which is a known mode of fixation, presenting in particular thefollowing advantages:

-   -   aesthetic characteristics    -   discretion    -   great facility of positioning and dismantling.

However, it would, of course, be possible, according to the invention,to ensure fixation of the canvas 4 on the rail 1 by any other means offixation and in particular, as shown in FIG. 5, by a rail of type withfit, i.e. a rail in which a border 25′ fits on the section, and thiswithout the canvas 4 concealing the rail from the users' eyes, as is thecase of the rail according to FIG. 2.

The fixation of the tie rods 3 on the rail 1 may, of course, be ensuredby means other than brackets, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5.

In the latter, the upper part of the rail 1 is constituted by a web 10′disposed in line with the web 10, on the canvas 4 side and of which thetwo ends terminate in two small flanges 28 parallel to the principalflanges 9 and 11 which close at their upper part by a border 31, so asto constitute a slideway 29. This slideway 29 may receive a plate 30 inthe form of a parallelogram of which the width e₁ is smaller than thelongitudinal opening of width e₂ separating the two borders 31, so as tobe able to introduce it in the rail 1, and of which the distance f₁separating the other two sides of the parallelogram is equal to theinternal spacing f₂ of the two lateral flanges 28.

Under these conditions, it will be understood that, in order to ensurehold of the rail, it suffices to introduce the plate 30 in the slideway29, then to pivot it about an axis of the tie-rod 3, in order to bringit into a position as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4.

The present invention is particularly advantageous in that it makes itpossible to constitute a mixed ceiling, i.e. a ceiling which is formed,over a part of its surface, by a stretched canvas, adjoining one or moreother parts reserved for technical elements, such as for exampleopenings for aeration, for air-conditioning, rails of lamps, or simplytiles, for example sound-insulating ones.

1. Suspended ceiling constituted on the one hand by at least one canvas(4) tightened by its periphery on support elements (1) fast with theceiling and/or the walls of a room, characterized in that it isconstituted, on the other hand, by ceiling tiles (5) held by thesesupport elements with the aid of holding means allowing the tiles (5) tobe dismantled without first having to fully or partially dismantle thecanvas (4).
 2. Suspended ceiling according to claim 1, characterized inthat the support elements are constituted by rails, namely peripheralrails and median rails (1) which are held with respect to the ceiling,these latter being provided, on one of their sides, with means forholding the canvas (4) and, on their other side, with means (15) forholding the tiles (5).
 3. Suspended ceiling according to claim 2,characterized in that the tiles (5) are held in simple abutment, atleast in part, on the median rails (1).
 4. Suspended ceiling accordingto claim 3, characterized in that the median rails (1) are provided, onone of their sides with means for hooking the canvas, and, on theirother side, with a horizontal web (15) intended to receive the tiles(5).
 5. Suspended ceiling according to claim 2, characterized in thatthe hooking means of the median rail (1) are constituted by two parallelvertical flanges (9, 11), namely a first flange (9) disposed towards thecanvas (4), and a second flange (11) disposed towards the tiles (5), theinner wall (11 a) of the second flange (11) being provided with ashoulder (17) adapted to receive, in simple abutment, the free end of aborder (25) integral with the canvas (4), so as to ensure holding of thelatter stretched.
 6. Suspended ceiling according to claim 5,characterized in that the shoulder (17) is disposed on the lower part ofthe second flange (11).
 7. Suspended ceiling according to claim 6,characterized in that said first and second flanges (9, 1) have the samelength.
 8. Suspended ceiling according to claim 2, characterized in thatthe upper part of the parallel flanges (9, 11) terminates in ahorizontal web (10) of which the two ends terminate in two smallvertical flanges (28) which extend upwardly and close at theirrespective upper parts by two horizontal borders (31), so as to form aslideway (29) intended to receive a slide block (30) in the form of aparallelogram and of which the width (e₁) is smaller than the opening ofwidth (e₂) separating the two borders (31).
 9. Suspended ceilingaccording to claim 3, characterized in that the hooking means of themedian rail (1) are constituted by two parallel vertical flanges (9,11), namely a first flange (9) disposed towards the canvas (4), and asecond flange (11) disposed towards the tiles (5), the inner wall (11 a)of the second flange (11) being provided with a shoulder (17) adapted toreceive, in simple abutment, the free end of a border (25) integral withthe canvas (4), so as to ensure holding of the latter stretched. 10.Suspended ceiling according to claim 4, characterized in that thehooking means of the median rail (1) are constituted by two parallelvertical flanges (9, 11), namely a first flange (9) disposed towards thecanvas (4), and a second flange (11) disposed towards the tiles (5), theinner wall (11 a) of the second flange (11) being provided with ashoulder (17) adapted to receive, in simple abutment, the free end of aborder (25) integral with the canvas (4), so as to ensure holding of thelatter stretched.
 11. Suspended ceiling according to claim 3,characterized in that the upper part of the parallel flanges (9, 11)terminates in a horizontal web (10) of which the two ends terminate intwo small vertical flanges (28) which extend upwardly and close at theirrespective upper parts by two horizontal borders (31), so as to form aslideway (29) intended to receive a slide block (30) in the form of aparallelogram and of which the width (e₁) is smaller than the opening ofwidth (e₂) separating the two borders (31).
 12. Suspended ceilingaccording to claim 4, characterized in that the upper part of theparallel flanges (9, 11) terminates in a horizontal web (10) of whichthe two ends terminate in two small vertical flanges (28) which extendupwardly and close at their respective upper parts by two horizontalborders (31), so as to form a slideway (29) intended to receive a slideblock (30) in the form of a parallelogram and of which the width (e₁) issmaller than the opening of width (e₂) separating the two borders (31).13. Suspended ceiling according to claim 5, characterized in that theupper part of the parallel flanges (9, 11) terminates in a horizontalweb (10) of which the two ends terminate in two small vertical flanges(28) which extend upwardly and close at their respective upper parts bytwo horizontal borders (31), so as to form a slideway (29) intended toreceive a slide block (30) in the form of a parallelogram and of whichthe width (e₁) is smaller than the opening of width (e₂) separating thetwo borders (31).
 14. Suspended ceiling according to claim 6,characterized in that the upper part of the parallel flanges (9, 11)terminates in a horizontal web (10) of which the two ends terminate intwo small vertical flanges (28) which extend upwardly and close at theirrespective upper parts by two horizontal borders (31), so as to form aslideway (29) intended to receive a slide block (30) in the form of aparallelogram and of which the width (e₁) is smaller than the opening ofwidth (e₂) separating the two borders (31).
 15. Suspended ceilingaccording to claim 7, characterized in that the upper part of theparallel flanges (9, 11) terminates in a horizontal web (10) of whichthe two ends terminate in two small vertical flanges (28) which extendupwardly and close at their respective upper parts by two horizontalborders (31), so as to form a slideway (29) intended to receive a slideblock (30) in the form of a parallelogram and of which the width (e₁) issmaller than the opening of width (e₂) separating the two borders (31).